Schools
New Keith Principal Pittman Ready to Begin
Phillip Pittman, a former assistant principal at North Farmington High School, credits mentor in retired principal Rick Jones.
Phillip Pittman may not have always intended on being a principal, but he said he’s thrilled to continue the excellence of in his first year at the helm.
Pittman, 34, was a teacher and assistant principal at for eight years where he found a mentor in retired principal . Pittman was an English teacher at NFHS before he changed direction into the administrative side after seeing how Jones was able to influence the students.
In late May, Pittman said he saw the posting for the principal position with in the Walled Lake Consolidated School District and applied. “The more I learned about Keith … the more it spoke to me. It aligned with my values,” he said. on the Michigan Department of Education PLA list, third-highest in the district.
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Pittman said that he believes that he can have a greater impact by being with the students at the elementary level with a position less involving discipline of students. “Foundational skills are more vital to achieve ones goals. This job is going to involve less around discipline and more in the academic and social life in school,” Pittman said.
Pittman intends on making himself active and visible within the school. Recently he mailed a letter to the homes with pictures of his family so that the students would get a sense of who he was and, most importantly, recognize him. “I will be meeting students in the hallways, cafeterias, at recess and visiting classrooms,” he said as the countdown to the school year culminates with the first day of classes Tuesday.
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Looking at the calendar year ahead, the former English teacher said that he is most looking forward to March, which is Reading Month in Michigan. “Literacy is very important to me,” he said and advised that they will be doing fun activities to “spur interest in reading.”
Pittman received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is working toward his doctorate at Eastern Michigan University. Pittman lives in Farmington Hills with his wife, Christina, who is also a teacher at North Farmington High School. They also have a son, Kyle, 12, and a daughter, Stephanie, 8.
